Posted on: Friday, October 8, 2004
Integrity of e-vote machines questioned
By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Advertiser Capitol Bureau
A coalition of concerned residents is urging voters to boycott using the state's new electronic voting machines and to stick to the standard paper ballot option when they go to the ballot booth for the general election.
Hart InterCivic "We feel that paper audit trails are mandatory for a safe e-voting election and we don't have any way of getting that for this election," said Jason Forrester, spokesman for the group and a senior systems analyst for SAVVIS, formerly Digital Island.
Texas-based Hart InterCivic has a $3.8 million contract to put at least one electronic voting machine in each of the state's voting precincts in an effort to make the process more accessible to those with disabilities or who do not speak English.
A federal act mandates that each state have such accommodations in place by the 2006 election.
Approximately 7,000 voters, or about 2.6 percent of registered voters, used the electronic system during the Sept. 18 primary election.
Forrester said his group does not fault the state for using the machines, but believes it neglected to include a clear, paper-trail mechanism in its rush to open up the process this year.
Rex Quidilla, voter services coordinator for the state Office of Elections, reiterated that elections officials believe the machines are secure and that results can be audited.
Those from Safe Vote Hawai'i "basically don't agree," he said. "We've proven time and time again that the machine is auditable and produces good results and we've done these tests throughout the state."
No decision has been made on whether to add an immediate paper trail mechanism in place for the 2006 election, Quidilla said, adding that the idea would likely be discussed as part of a review of the system after the general election.
And while the machines are designed primarily to aid those with disabilities or who do not speak English, Quidilla said the state wants to allow all voters the option of using either them or the standard paper ballots.
Quidilla said the organization requested that the machines only be used by those who need to, but "we would not be able to comply because that would create a situation where poll workers would be deciding whether a person is disabled and that would possibly open up the state to a discrimination lawsuit."
Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.
Members of Safe Vote Hawai'i, which describes itself as "a coalition of Hawai'i's leading technology professionals, community activists and official election observers," said they have concerns about the integrity of the electronic machines because they do not produce an immediate "paper copy" for each vote cast.
No immediate paper trail has some worried about this machine.
